Helsinki, Finland Tuesday April 30th at 17:00 (5 pm) Mikko Innanen & Mika Kallio Duo live (with surprise guests) @ Digelius Music, Helsinki

International Jazz Day hits Helsinki in a record store

Now here’s a treat for Finnish jazz lovers. Saxophonist Mikko Innanen and drummer Mika Kallio celebrate The International Jazz Day by performing as a duo in the distinguished record shop Digelius at the legendary Viiskulma district in the heart of Helsinki. Established in 1971, Digelius is one of Europe’s oldest and most famous record shops still running. The shop, specialized in jazz, world and experimental music, is still going strong as is the duo of Kallio and Innanen. The duo was started in 1997 when the two were studying together at the jazz department of Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Since then they have released two CDs, “Scratch” (2007) and “Silence” (2009), both on Fiasko Records.

Mikko Innanen (b. 1978) is one of the most original yet versatile voices on the Nordic jazz and improvised music scene. Down Beat calls him “a volcanic Finnish reedist”. Innanen was awarded as the jazz musician of the year in Finland in 2008 and nominated for the Nordic Council’s Music Prize in 2011. Arts Council of Finland awarded him a three-year working grant in 2009. To date he has published ca. 20 recordings as a leader or co-leader and about 15 as a sideman. Mikko Innanen is currently active as a bandleader/co-leader with Mikko Innanen & Mika Kallio Duo, Mikko Innanen & Innkvisitio, PLOP, Mikko Innanen F60.8, Mikko Innanen & Seppo Kantonen Duo, Delirium, Gourmet, Mikko Innanen Trio with Joe Fonda and Lou Grassi, Treffpunkt, The Curators and Mikko Innanen 10+ and as a featured sideman with Kalle Kalima & K-18, Tonight at Noon, Pekka Tuppurainen Röd/Blå, Teppo Mäkynen’s Serenity Ensemble, Zanussi 13 and Stefan Pasborg’s Free Moby Dick. Innanen has also performed and/or recorded with such musicians as Andrew Cyrille, John Tchicai, Han Bennink, Paul Lovens, William Parker, Joachim Badenhorst, Fred Van Hove, Wadada Leo Smith, Ingrid Jensen, Jaak Sooäär, Juhani Aaltonen, Verneri Pohjola, George Kontrafouris, Barry Guy, Pascal Niggenkemper, Tapani “Fuck” Kinnunen, Tom Rainey, Karl Berger, Anders Bergcrantz, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Billy Cobham, Ibrahim Electric, Kresten Osgood, Ted Curson and Paal Nilssen-Love.

Drummer and percussionist Mika Kallio (b. 1974) has collaborated with most major jazz musicians in Finland. In 1997 Samuli Mikkonen asked Mika to join his trio with Uffe Krokfors and a recording ”Korpea kuunnellessa” was released in 1998. After that Mika has played on over 40 albums with various bands and his debut-CD as a leader/soloist ”Mika Kallio” was released in 2008. Kallio leads Kallio Slaaki in which the solo concept has been expanded for three drummers (Anssi Nykänen and Mikko Hassinen) and is the co-leader of the Mikko Innanen & Mika Kallio Duo and Gnomus (with Kari Ikonen and Esa Onttonen). As a sideman he works in such groups as Teemu Viinikainen Trio, Kari Ikonen Karikko, Gourmet, Unit (RF-BE-FI), Manuel Dunkel United, Agan/Viinikainen/Mälgand/Kallio, Ahava, Kalle Kalima trio, Markus Holkko Quartet, Samuli Mikkonen & seitsemän henkeä, Jukka Gustavson & Raoul Björkenheim Quartet, Sakari Kukko Virret and Sid Hille’s Tribute to the Beatles. Kallio has also worked with Tomasz Stanko, Wadada Leo Smith, JD Walter, Peter Bernstein, Gary Versace, John Lindberg, Philippe Catherine, Stefan Pasborg, Ben Monder, Bänz Oester, Heiri Känzig, Jürg Solothurnmann, Ain Agan, Sebastien Boisseau, Laurent Blondiau, Matthieu Donarier, Marc Ducret, Ron McClure, John Zorn, Gunnar Halle, Jaak Sooäär, Tim Hagans, Staffan Svensson, Vincent Courtois and Michael Gibbs.

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THE TRADITIONAL VAPPU CELEBRATION IN DIGELIUS In Finland, 30th of April also has another meaning for Finnish people. It is vappuaatto, the eve of First of May, the carnival of students and working class, celebrated all over the country - colourful balloons and streamers, funny costumes and loads of people boozed out of their minds. Digelius has a tradition of celebrating vappuaatto by serving the classic sima (non-alcoholic mead drink) in the store for customers and passers-by. First time this year the tradition will be combined with The International Jazz Day.

Digelius Music Laivurinrinne 2 / www.digelius.com / [email protected] Mikko Innanen www.mikkoinnanen.com / [email protected] Mika Kallio www.mikakallio.net Fiasko Records www.fiaskorecords.com